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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25140922">Life is Short</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/capthamm/pseuds/capthamm'>capthamm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon a Time (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Bittersweet, Bittersweet Ending, Character Death, F/M, First Dates, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Life Well Lived, Please Don't Hate Me, angsty and beautiful, angsty angst that’s angsty, emma and killian have kids, i know it hurts but it’s also pretty, i promise it’s not all doom and gloom, i’d say i’m sorry for the angst but...</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:09:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,378</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25140922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/capthamm/pseuds/capthamm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan and Killian Jones make the most of how short life truly is.</p>
<p>**Inspired by the song Cecily Smith (Acoustic) by Will Connelly</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Life is Short</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>fair warning that death is a part of life but also that it doesn’t always have to be sad</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>”I’m just headed for a walk and probably a slushie.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she got herself ready, Emma decided that she’d rather get a disapproving look for buying another slushie than have to explain to Mary Margaret that she’s going on a date. She turns her head, avoiding said look, as she walks out the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Emma doesn’t go on dates but a drunken download of tinder and 3 right swipes later (Storybrooke’s bachelor scene leaving </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be desired), she finds herself walking towards the harbor. The closer she gets the more she realizes maybe telling MM that she was meeting up with a stranger wouldn't have been the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst </span>
  </em>
  <span>idea. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Storybrooke is small and she reasons to herself that, if something nefarious </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>happen, they’d find her eventually. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Killian doesn’t seem to have a nefarious bone in his body… at least through tinder messaging. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the fuck have you gotten yourself into, Emma? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She walks up to the water’s edge, finding peace in the solid ground beneath her feet. While she’ll admit the view is nothing to scoff at, Emma doesn’t particularly see the draw to spending an entire day aboard a rickety boat or getting soaking wet at the beach. If it’s someone’s thing, more power to them, but she prefers solid, dry land. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’s lost in her thoughts when she hears someone walk up behind. She turns to meet him and is pleasantly surprised at how accurate his profile picture is— let's just say Leroy </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>6’2” and blonde. Emma’s about to comment on his honesty when he puts out his hand expectantly, “Killian Jones and I hope you like sailing because I may or may not have bribed my brother to allow the use of our co-owned vessel for tonight’s date.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He smiles so brightly and confidently that she can't help but get wrapped up in his warmth, and he’s so perfectly British that even Emma can’t resist swooning a bit. All of these things would’ve been great to comment on, but before she can form a coherent thought she hears herself say, “I hate sailing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow his smile gets wider. “Well lucky for you you’re with Killian Jones. I’ve never met a lass I couldn’t win over with a taste of the sea.” He must sense Emma’s hesitation and continue, “Life is not the things that we do, but who we’re doing them with.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The quote catches Emma off guard— poetic and eloquent in an overall casual conversation. Although, she’s pretty sure he could make the phonebook sound poetic with his accent. She nods slightly and gives him a soft smile before he leads her towards the ship with a wave of his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It turns out sailing takes a lot more effort than Emma thought. She’s currently just enjoying a glass of wine on the faux leather bench behind the captain’s wheel, but Killian has been running rampant as he steers them out of the comfort of the harbor. She tried to tell him they could just stay docked, but he insisted on the view from the horizon line. While Emma is amused by his childlike wonder, she figures nothing will come of the night if he has to be this attentive to the ship the entire time. It’s that mindset which has her sink down in her seat and close her eyes. The steady rhythm of his breath and the slight rock of the waves could lull her to sleep in no time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She wakes up to his fingers threading between hers and has to stifle the gasp which fills her throat. Her gut instinct is to clock him for being so forward, but when she turns to face him, his face is radiating joy and she can’t find it within herself. They spend the rest of the night like that, chastely intertwined while he details countless stories told by the constellations. “Upon seeing Andromeda bound to the rock, Perseus falls in love with her. Perseus kills the monster and they are married for many years. It is said that Perseus is Hercules’ grandfather. Now they are up there side-by-side with Cepheus and Cassiopeia as a reward from Athena for Perseus’ bravery.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Emma hums contently and without thought before realizing her head has found a resting spot on Killian’s shoulder. Besides the odd question here and there, Emma has been more than happy just listening to him talk, but at the sound of her hum she feels him tense beneath her. “Am I boring you, love?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She can’t help but chuckle to herself before somehow finding it in herself to be blatantly honest, “This is the best time that I’ve ever had.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even in the dark she can see the slight blush on his ears and the smile that forms. He gazed at her intently for a moment before standing up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sudden lack of his touch is startling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose I should get us home, Swan.” She wants to argue that they aren’t children but when she checks her watch she realizes it’s almost midnight. It’s not like she’s going to turn into a pumpkin, but MM thought she was just going for a slushie and is probably pacing a hole into the floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Emma nods reluctantly and Killian smiles at her, softer this time, but the sparkle still present in his eyes. “Lucky for you, I own this beautiful vessel and we can take her out whenever you’d like.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She wishes she could say she was shocked at her answer, “I'd like that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At the beginning of the night had you told Emma Swan that she’d be willingly agreeing to a second date on the water, she would’ve assumed you were from some alternate universe. As they say goodnight and he kisses her softly on the cheek, Emma is all too aware of the magnitude of the evening. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her world has been changed forever by one Killian Jones. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>. . . </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of their 57 years together are split almost evenly between time on land and time aboard that ship.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Emma asked the kids for help with their dad’s final voyage, she expected a crowd— grandkids and spouses alike— so when they showed up alone with a picnic blanket and a star map, just like “old times”, she couldn’t help but let out another round of tears. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now as she walks the rusting ramp, Percy helping her and Cassie jogging ahead to get started undocking, she swears she can still hear him laughing. It’s as though the fibers of the sails kept each moment spent beneath them tucked safely away and she can’t imagine a better place for him to rest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cassie expertly navigates to the exact spot Killian anchored them in that first night so long ago. They’ve sailed here many times, so it’s no wonder it’s second nature for her. After making sure the ship was sturdy, Percy and Cassie head below deck leaving Emma alone with her memories. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That first date was on a night not unlike the one she’s wrapped in now, but everything else has changed monumentally— very little of the lost girl who boarded that ship remains. She found herself in Killian Jones. His cheery disposition and outlook on the “adventure” that is life pushed Emma out of comfort zones she didn’t even realize she was living in. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sound of her tear hitting the ceramic vase is what brings her back to the reality of the moment. She’s unsurprised to find her tear a bittersweet one, Killian always assuring her there was no use in spending what little time we have on this planet in despair. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, how much I miss you, Killian Jones.” She whispers softly to herself as she finds her footing and heads to the railing of the boat. She slowly uncaps the urn and carefully empties the contents into the sea her husband loved so deeply. She clutches the necklace he directed Percy to have made, telling their son that his love of the sea was only matched by his love of their mother. It’s a long chain, and etched into the pendent somehow made of his ashes is a quote from the night they met: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Life is not the things that we do, but who we’re doing them with.  </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She kisses the necklace softly before looking to the stars, Perseus and Cassiopeia shining bright as ever, “Killian Jones, how fortunate am I to have done life with you.”  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>. . . </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>I need her, I just do.” He levels with Liam, slightly rolling onto his toes to meet his brother’s height. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not good enough. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>insist on taking the ship so there has to be a reason.” Liam steps back a tad before crossing his arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Killian is not getting away with this one. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I have a date.” Liam’s eyebrows skyrocket into the curls covering his forehead. Killian practically winces waiting for the slew of questions which will no doubt follow, but finds his fear unfounded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Liam simply nods before turning away, “Fair enough. She’s all yours.” Killian is left alone in their living room completely dumbfounded but also entirely grateful. Liam is fully aware that he hasn’t taken anyone out on the ship since Milah’s passing and his brother’s lack of probing tells Killian the gravity of the action is not lost on Liam. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He never doubted his brother would let him take their ship, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>be like Liam to rent it out or take Belle out for a last minute excursion without so much as a second thought at Killian prior request. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Any other night, he wouldn’t have minded, but tonight feels important. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s only chatted with Emma for a week or two through Tinder— Ruby assuring him he needed to get laid before setting up his entire account for him. The pair hit it off almost immediately, but he could tell she was skittish so Killian let her lead despite his immediate fascination with the woman beyond her good looks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His outlook on life shifted dramatically after losing his Milah. Many men would have spiraled into a deep depression and the bottom of several liquor bottles— Killian would be lying if he said he didn’t try that route at first— but one day it hit him that he’d been given (albeit in the worst way possible) a brilliant life lesson. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Life is </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>short</em>
  </b>
  <span>. And that’s the first time everything changed for Killian Jones. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As he walks up to the dock and spots her long blonde hair, his feelings are startlingly similar to that night— the one where his life changed for the better. He takes a deep breath, shaking out any final nerves, and repeats his mantra to himself: </span>
  <em>
    <span>life is short. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Typically his date falling asleep before they’ve even reached their anchor point would be discouraging, but to Killian he can’t help but find pride in the comfort Emma feels in his presence. He reasons with himself that surely she would’ve been consistently on high alert had he flown any red flags. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s that self talk that gives him the courage to sit beside her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bloody hell, is he glad he did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They spend the night detailing myths of the cosmos and time scurries away from them. He feels every minuscule movement she makes as they lean against one another and Killian is a goner by the time they get to the Big Dipper. Not only is Emma Swan the most stunning woman he’s ever seen— thank god her profile was of the honest sort— but she’s also bloody brilliant. He revels in every syllable she says, each moment tattooing a little more of her into his heart. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s worried he’s fallen too deep too fast, when she agrees to a second date— on the water no less— and all nerves dissipate immediately. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before he knows it, Perseus comes along and makes him a father— Cassie following closely behind. Of course there were more dates, a wedding, two houses, and some fights in between, but when he thinks of the compression of time between their first date and the birth of their son, he can’t help but be flabbergasted. Time slowed eventually, retirement and being a grandparent bringing a new sense of purpose to their shared life. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But life is short. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The cancer comes a lot like his love for her did— at full speed and in full force— and it’s course seemed to speed up time once more. Killian knew his time was nearing the end, but couldn’t find it in himself to be sad. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why waste what little time we have in life in despair? (Emma swears he said that to her one day, but he’s pretty sure she taught him that.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s a chilly May afternoon when he asks Percy to join him for lunch. His son has grown into a fine young man, a father himself three times over, and he couldn’t be more proud. While he’s also proud of Cassie, Killian knows Percy will do what needs to be done with little rebuttal of “don’t talk like that” and “you’re going to make it”. Cassie feels with her heart and soul, but Percy has always been rational and dutiful. He knows Percy will have the necklace made and he’s positive it will be more beautiful than even Killian could dream up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Killian is slightly surprised when Percy goes to protest Killian’s reference to his own impending doom, but one tweak of his eyebrow and his son clamps his mouth shut. Percy listens carefully for the rest of the meal, taking notes and assuring Killian he’ll do what needs to be done. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Killian has no doubt.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When the day comes, Emma doesn’t leave his side— he never doubted that she would. She hadn’t for 57 years so why start now? He gets to say goodbyes, which is more than most and he goes out looking into his wife’s eyes— strong, ready, and full of love. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Killian couldn’t have pictured a life half as wonderful as the one he got to lead, and he attributes every ounce of that fate to the woman who he got to do it with. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Life is not the things that we do, it’s who we’re doing them with. - Michael Mitnick “Cecily Smith”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i’m sorry 😬 come yell at me on tumblr: capthamm</p></blockquote></div></div>
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